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Morneau’s big hit gives Rockies 8-7 win vs Giants

By WTOP Staff

RICK EYMER
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Justin Morneau came to the plate in the eighth inning with one thought in mind: just see the ball and hit it.

Morneau hit a two-run double against left-hander Javier Lopez as the Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 8-7 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep with another comeback victory.

“He throws from a tough angle and the hardest thing with him is picking up the ball,” Morneau said. “Fortunately it was in a good spot and it was another good win for us.”

Morneau’s pinch-hit highlighted a four-run rally for the Rockies, who scored in the ninth in each of the first two games of the series for the win.

“It was a great three games here,” Rockies’ manager Walt Weiss said. “We kept it together and came up with big-time clutch hits. I love coming here and playing in this atmosphere.”

Troy Tulowitzki had three hits, including a home run, and drove in two runs for the Rockies, who won extended their season-high winning streak to five games.

“I’ve been here when they came back against us plenty of times,” Tulowitzki said. “It’s nice to be on this side and celebrating a terrific series.”

Tulowitzki, who was nursing a sore toe, said he was good enough to play even though Weiss said the star shortstop talked his way into the lineup.

Madison Bumgarner pitched seven innings and homered in the fifth inning for the Giants, who have lost six of seven and were swept at home for the first time.

“We should have won some of the games we lost on this homestand but you’re going to have some adversity,” Bumgarner said. “The Rockies have one of the best offenses in the league and we weren’t playing that badly. We just found ourselves on the losing side.”

Matt Belisle (2-2) pitched an inning for Colorado. Juan Gutierrez (1-2) allowed four runs on three hits for the Giants.

LaTroy Hawkins pitched the ninth for his 14th save in 15 chances.

“It’s amazing, last week at this time we’re in the dumps,” Hawkins said. “Now we’re on a high. It can turn around just like this.”

Tulowitzki singled to open the eighth and scored on Drew Stubbs’ one-out triple. Michael McKenry beat out an infield single to score Stubbs and Charlie Culberson walked.

D.J. LeMahieu then hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Brandon Crawford, who bobbled the ball before getting the force at second. Ehire Adrianza also had trouble controlling the ball and his relay throw to first was late, setting up Morneau’s hit.

“The bullpen just unraveled,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who was ejected with two outs in the ninth for arguing balls and strikes.

The no-decision denied Bumgarner a chance to move into a tie for the NL wins lead with nine. He allowed four runs on six hits, walking four and striking out nine. Bumgarner had allowed a combined four runs in his previous 29 innings.

Rockies starter Juan Nicasio gave up three runs on four hits over two-plus innings. He walked four and struck out two. He’s allowed 25 runs on 35 hits over his last 15 2-3 innings, a 14.36 ERA.

Nicasio walked Tyler Colvin and Crawford to open the second inning and Adrianza singled to put the Giants ahead. Bumgarner bunted and was safe when Nicasio threw the ball wide. Crawford scored on the play. Hunter Pence also drove in a run.

Tulowitzki’s 18th home run of the season, a two-shot into the left field bleachers in the third, cut into the lead but the Giants answered when Hector Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth.

Sanchez hit for Buster Posey, who left the game as a precautionary measure after taking a foul ball off his mask.

Brandon Barnes’ RBI groundout in the fifth was matched by Colvin’s RBI single in the sixth to make it 7-3 for the Giants.

Pinch-hitter Josh Rutledge added an RBI double against Bumgarner in the seventh to cut it to 7-4.

NOTES: Giants OF Angel Pagan was scratched from the starting lineup with lower back tightness. … The Giants will start RHP Matt Cain (1-4, 3.84) against the White Sox in Chicago on Tuesday. He is 8-10 with a 2.71 ERA in 22 career interleague games. … The Rockies will start LHP Tyler Matzek (1-0, 2.57) in their series opener against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Monday. He’ll be making his second career start. … Rockies C Wilin Rosario made his first start at first base. … Nicasio threw a season-high 38 pitches in the second inning … RHP Santiago Casilla is expected to be activated by the Giants in time for their series in Chicago. … Giants RHP Tim Lincecum turned 30.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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